P1racenews AI automatic summary:
George Russell makes a startling admission after another tough result in the Belgium qualifying.
George Russell expressed his belief that Mercedes has regressed significantly to the midfield this year based on the challenging qualifying session at the Belgian Grand Prix. Russell’s performance in the final F1 qualifying session resulted in only seventh place, trailing seven tenths behind pole-sitter Lando Norris of McLaren. This marked Russell’s worst qualifying outcome since the Monaco GP due to mechanical issues back at Q2. The team’s rookie driver Kimi Antonelli had a tough day as well, finishing 18th after elimination in Q1, surpassing only the Aston Martin cars. The struggles extended to the sprint race, where both Mercedes drivers failed to score after starting from beyond the top 10 positions. Russell emphasized the urgent need for Mercedes to address the recent decline in performance, noting the significant drop since the beginning of the season and stressed the necessity to comprehend the situation moving forward.
